Page 81 of Bad Medicine
I put my hands on my hips, andit was no accident that my fingers ended up close to my demon blade. “Oh yeah?What’s that?” Then I held up my hand. “Let me tell you right now that if you’relooking for someone to teach you how not to be an asshole, I’m not your girl.”I glanced around the room, but we were the only two present. “Nicole isn’there. I haven’t seen her.”
His long, wild black hairstirred as though brushed by a wind only he could feel. “I’m not here forNicole.”
Shit. He took a step closer,and the demon blade began to burn against my hip. Suddenly, I was very afraidof what he wanted. “Tell me why you’re here, Lucas.”
He paused and a frown flittedacross his face. I could almost feel him brushing off whatever it was thatbothered him before he took another step toward me. Only my desk was betweenus, but I knew that was no protection at all. He could walk through the desk ifhe wanted to.
“You shouldn’t come to mywork,” I told him. “There are humans out there, and I can’t believe that anangel wouldn’t care about humans. Even one such as you.”
“One such as me,” he murmured.“What is that?”
“A savage, barbaric thug.” Ilifted an eyebrow, happy that I was somehow maintaining both my calm and mysmart mouth. My insides were jumping with nerves and fear, and my body was onfire from the blade, but I was determined he wouldn’t know either of thosethings.
“I do what is necessary tocontinue the fight,” he said. “Towinthe fight.”
I tilted my head. “And how canI help you with that?”
“You can give me the blade youcarry. I gave you some time to think about it. If your answer is no, I will beforced to take it.”
For a brief instant, the roomswam as panic threatened to overtake me. He wanted the demon blade. My blade.
I’d protected the blade sinceI’d stolen it, and I’d succeeded in retaining my hold on it. I’d been terrifiedthe demon would take it back, which would have given him power over me. I waswrapped up in that blade. I was part of it. I’d feared the demon—but the angelamped that fear up a whole other notch.
I could not let him take it.
But there was no way I couldstop him.
I knew it was useless to ask,but I asked anyway. “Please don’t take my blade.”
Again, he hesitated. “I must,Kait Silver. But if you give it to me freely, I will not harm you or frightenthe humans you care so much about.” He held out his big hand. “Give me theblade and you will never see me again.”
Too bad I didn’t believe him. Ishook my head. “I can’t.”
“Then I am forced to take it.”
I jerked the blade from mysheath and threw myself away from my desk and out in the open, not only to givemyself room to fight, but to hopefully keep the noise down while I was at it.
The second his stare dropped tothe blade, I went at him with my wolf’s speed, and I slashed. All I had to dowas get my blade into his heart.
But he was ready for me thistime. His arm flew up to block my attack, breaking my wrist even as he slammedhis palm against my chest and sent me flying backward into the wall. I lost mygrip on the blade and as it flew through the air, he caught it.
And then, he disappeared.
The “fight” had been brief, butnoisy, and already Joe was barreling through the door, Max at his back. I satin the floor, cradling my wrist, honestly surprised Max had followed Joe in.
Joe crouched in front of me butdarted his stare around the room, a knife in his hand. “Who’s here?” he asked.
“No one now,” I told him,breathing through the pain of my broken wrist and what felt like a caved-inchest as I waited impatiently to heal. “But the angel just left.”
“Fuck,” he growled. Then,“Max.” He gestured at the doorway, where several wide-eyed clients stood,peering into the room to see what the commotion was about.
“Are you okay, Kait?” Maxasked.
“I’ll be fine,” I told him.
He hurried toward the littleknot of people, shewing them away. He left with them, murmuring assurances, andclosed the door behind him.
Joe sat down on the floorbeside me, his back against the wall. “He got your blade, Kait?” There wasworry in his voice, because he knew what the demon blade meant to me.
